What happens when you stop breathing? Sorry if that seems a little facetious, but breath is life, and a big part of relaxation includes deep steady breathing. I do 7 slow counts in, hold for equat 7, and out the same 7 count. Different sensations in the prostate in each stage, and all wonderful.

Here's a nice exercise that helped me to learn the importance of breathing. Place your hand on you belly where your diaphragm is. Now, breathe in deep and hold it. Feel your muscles. Are they tense or relaxed? Now, keep your hand there and breathe out, fully exhale, and hold it. Feel your muscles again. Are they tense or relaxed? You should notice that as your breathe is held "in" that your muscles are more tense. They are tight and ready for action. As you exhale you should notice how they loosen up and your a melting into a state of relaxation. That's because your muscles indeed do relax.

As part of a tantric breathing exercise, try breathing in through your nose and out of your mouth. As you breath in through your nose, imagine a blue and white energy entering into your body as a universal peace and love. It will flow into you and provide energy. As you breathe out through your mouth imagine a yellow and red energy leaving. This is the stress and frustration you carry with you leaving into your body. In this way you are connecting with the universe by accepting it's love and giving to it your stress and frustration to handle so you can be more at peace. As you breathe out, breathe out just a little slower than you breathe in. This is not to say that Pauls technique is wrong by any means. This is only an alternative.

Physiologically, as we breathe in through our nose our mucous membranes are designed to catch pollutants and other environmental factors in the air as well as heat up and moisturize the oxygen we take in. As we breathe out through our mouth, we are removing as much carbon dioxide as possible. The body does not recognize when it's low on oxygen, only when it's got too much carbon dioxide. This is the key reason that runners are taught to breathe in through the nose and out through the mouth.

The end result will be a much more relaxed body and mind allowing you to naturally enjoy your Progasm more. Thom and Paul offer some great advice and insight too. I may very well use Pauls technique for a different meditation exercise I have in mind. Also, Thom I believe is correct in his assessment that rhythmic breathing does set into motion the action of the Progasm and many of the Aneros models. I hope that the advice from everyone here helps. Please let us know about the next time you try a session.

Paul - additionally to your comment - counting 7 each time may sound like an imposition to some, but if you are doing that, you will not thinking about other things as well, and that reduction in "mind noise" can bring huge benefits. This could be akin to meditation as Rakaaim mentions. I will endeavour to be a little more systematic about my breathing from now on!

Linum, that's exactly right! By maintaining such focus and on such a simple task (as if breathing is ever simple!), it creates a mental space that is fully occupied in the present moment only and fully conscious of that one task. You are fully correct in saying that it reduces "mind noise". That's a big reason why I'm excited to try the 7 in 7 out method during a meditation session I want to engage in later. I never fully understood why breathing was so important until recently, like the last few weeks really. The kicker is I've been doing breathing exercises and meditation techniques since I was about 12. I guess at 12 my mind noise was far less than what it is now. I'm able to better understand the deeper meaning of it all. Good luck Linum and all. Let me know what results you find, and I'll be sure to share mine as well.

Rikaaim provides the "why" regarding importance of always breathing. Living solely in the moment permits us to sense the multitude of anomalies and blessings that come our way. For many guys into holding their breath as they enter orgasm, a good breathing discipline requires some, "learning."

I think this thread is of great importance to each Aneros newbie. I think that for the first month or two, men new to the Journey, should read this thread before each serious (oragasmic) session.

I'm not a student of Tantra but recognize rhythmic breathing as essential to each of my orgasmic sessions. The rhythms of our lives include brainwaves, heartbeat and breathing. Breathing is the rhythm over which we have the easiest control.

Early in my own journey, Forum coaches emphasized breathing in the style that rikaaim addresses. I undertook a simple meditation course at a local hospital and was taught elementary Zazen meditation which I've subscribed to for over three years. That introduction stressed that we each have a "Monkey Brain" that, when not focused, will attempt to spawn a train of thought following any random subject that comes along. Focus on the most simple of tasks pushes the Monkey Brain out of the way and causes the subject to live in the Moment that rikaaim addresses.

During meditative induction to each orgasmic session I focus on just the flow of air as it crosses my olifactory area and bends downward into my pharynx. Nothing more. Just the flow of air!

I want to expand slightly on one other thing Rook mentioned. Rook is correct in saying that we trained ourselves to stop breathing during orgasm. Most of us, especially men, trained ourselves to be quiet as well. As teenagers, generally we had a "hurry up and finish" approach before we got caught. This in turn led us to rapidly finding our "go to" switch for immediate orgasm. As well, we remain very quiet and closed up during the moment. Making noise after all wouldn't assist in remaining secret. Learning to breathe properly does allow one to live in the moment, but to open up overall. Perhaps before breathing in earnest, give a good loud, fully open shout or scream. Just let go of any embarrassment and enjoy what is natural, but we ourselves trained it out of us. Then when the orgasm hits and the breathing is going open and full the vocals will come out and full experience will be available. I'm an auditory kind of guy. I love hearing the bed knock against the wall, my lovers moans, and my own as well. Breathing certainly opens up many things including the possibility of natural sound. Live in that moment and fully enjoy it! It's yours by right and by nature.

I am bumping this up since I think it is so important. I take no credit for the 7-7-7 method I mentioned. I read it somewhere, perhaps even somewhere on this site. I find that after a few countings, my body picks up the rhythm

and I no longer count, it is sorta automatic. The importance of deep breathing all the way from the bottom of the lungs can't be stressed enough. Watch the breathing of a baby lying down and you will see the whole lungs filling up and letting out. Somewhere along the line most of us lose that, and do shallow breathing from just the top of the lungs. As was mentioned, we are used to holding breath during orgasm, and probably most highly emotional moments. We also almost stop breathing to cut off our emotions, especially the uncomfortable ones. It can take a conscious effort to do it until we are used to it, and it becomes more or less constant. I think we probably do it when we are sleeping. The keeping silent issue can be true for some even with Aneros if there are others in earshot..

Short answer is yes it is important as stated above. While starting out my breathing is deep and relaxing. Eventually my breathing turns into moans and it really quickens. I sometimes get a head rush and that feels pretty good; like I found someone who is willing to go the extra mile with no ands ifs or buts.